Wednesday, 27 April 2011

Media Statement: Commissioners Ignore Local Community on Pah Rd Warehouse

"Despite strong opposition from local residents and organisations, and a Council planning report recommending against it, commissioners have granted a resource consent for the Pah Rd Warehouse proposal," says Julie Fairey, Roskill Community Voice member on the Puketapapa Local Board.

The decision of the three independent commissioners was released on April 13th. "Since then we have been contacted by many locals disappointed that their very real concerns about parking, traffic, noise, protected trees, flooding risk and the character of the neighbourhood have been dismissed by commissioners who don't have to live with the consequences of their decision," says Michael Wood, Roskill Community Voice member on the Puketapapa Local Board.

"Given the Council planner's recommendation against the Warehouse building on the Pah Rd site and the high level of local opposition the independent commissioners should have declined this application. We are supporting residents to investigate the options for appealing the decision, including the Environment Court and we are convening a public meeting for further local discussion of the issue," says Wood.

The public meeting will be held at the Fickling Centre (beneath the Mt Roskill Library, Three Kings) at 2.30pm on Sunday May 8th.

"It is particularly worrying that the commissioners' report is so dismissive of residents' concerns, implying that locals have an elitist attitude towards the Warehouse as a company," says Fairey. "Most of the people we have spoken to who are opposed to the Warehouse building on Pah Rd have told us they shop at the Warehouse themselves, and would not support any 'big box' retail going in to an inappropriate site. What is the point of having so-called 'independent' commissioners if they are not going to take submitters at face value?"